1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a sterilant package, and more particularly to a compartmentalized sterilant package in which sutures and medical supplies and instruments are organized for use in the operating room or at patient bedside.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many sterilant packages currently used by the medical professions. Most of these packages contain a single instrument, or the like, which has been sterilized and placed inside a package or which is sterilized while inside a package.
It is well known in the art that sterilant packages are provided consisting of an outer layer of gas barrier material and at least one sheet of gas releasing paper or the like comprising the inner package layer. A medical instrument or other item is contained inside the package. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,429 to Newman, a flexible, sterilizable package is provided to store and transport a single sterilized article. Numerous separate packages, each containing a single instrument or suture pack, are used during one operation.
An example of a dual compartment sterilant package is disclosed by Gandi et al in U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,634. Upon application of heat to the package, gaseous formaldehyde is released to sterilize the instruments. The user then removes the sterilized instruments from their package (or packages) at the time of use. Once removed from their packages, the instruments must be kept free from air-borne contaminants and the like.
Because it is necessary to have many sterile instruments and supplies available for each procedure, there are also available pre-sterilized kits for use in operating rooms, each kit containing the instruments and materials commonly used in a particular procedure. Use of these kits is limited by the preselection of articles placed in them. Also, the known kits are all rigid metal or plastic trays which are placed on tables or shelves in the operating room (or patient room) away from the patient and not immediately at hand for the surgeon, nurse, or other medical personnel. Examples of such kits are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,523,679 to Paikoff et al and U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,119 to Hultberg et al. These tray kits, with their enclosed instruments, are sterilized as a whole and taken into a sterile operating room before being opened. Other methods of sterilizing instruments are also well known in the art. One of these methods involves packages which include gas releasing sterilizer sheets; another method uses equipment which sterilizes by use of heat or steam. Instruments and medicaments sterilized by these methods are usually removed from their packages or the sterilizing equipment and then placed onto a sterile field until use. An advantage of the presterilized tray kits is that everything is kept at hand, but the disadvantage of the kits is that only preselected medicant packages and instruments are available. Complex surgical procedures may require 200 suture packets alone, and a multitude of tiny instruments and supplies. All such items are counted prior to surgery and before surgical wound closure. The presterilized tray kits are generally used only for simple recurrent procedures. Thus, allowances are not made for specific patient needs or surgical team preferences. Heretofor, no one has established a container that addresses this organizational need.
There are also known to be collapsible and foldable trays, most commonly used in restaurant services. Such trays are erected from previously folded and collapsed sheets of cardboard, or the like material. When erected, the food items, such as beverage containers and sandwich packages fill the compartments and prevent recollapse of the tray. Such recollapsible trays are not suitable for use in operating rooms where recollapse may not only cause spillage and contamination of instruments, but spillage or breakage of the contents, such as vials of drawn blood, may be life threatening. Heretofor, no one in the prior art has felt he could rely on a collapsible container/tray and the more expensive metal or plastic, non-disposable trays have been standard.
There is, therefore, a need for a non-rigid, foldable, sterilizable container with multiple compartments which is not already filled with preselected instruments and medications, but which is divided so that it can hold any combination of instruments preferred by an individual surgeon and staff. It is also important, where speed is essential, that a collapsible tray be quickly erected and easily locked into a rigid, non-collapsible state. For the sake of economy, and more importantly for the prevention of cross contamination between patients and medical staff, it is also preferable that an organizer for operating room use be disposable.